How-To Geek

I still have some CDs from two decades ago that work just fine, but I know better than to assume that this will be the norm for all my CDs and DVDs. The fact of the matter is that CD-Rs and DVD-Rs, much like any storage media, can be susceptible to data loss, and your old files could be in major danger.

It's the perineal problem on desktop computers: a Downloads folder that's out of control, full of sundry items with varying levels of importance. Mine is no exception, but I managed to write a simple Bash script that can handle it for me.

How do you create a rock-solid development environment on Ubuntu? I'll show you how to do it in just a few minutes with VS Code and Docker Desktop.

I write thousands of words a day and share them online for others to see. I take photos, conduct research, and chat with colleagues. I do all of this remotely, and yet, despite living my professional life online, I do all of this without owning a PC. And you know what? With the other options available, I’ve never been happier to get to work.

Using simple CLI commands to manage and troubleshoot Docker containers gets really annoying, really fast. That is, if you even want to memorize and type in the commands over and over for simple things like checking logs, container status (whether it's healthy or crashing), and monitoring the resources each container is taking up. There's a better way to do just that without leaving the terminal.

HBO Max has got some real bangers on its hands right now, and your couch is calling this week. Don't worry, though, we know you need a machete to slash through all the weeds, so I'll just leave these three suggestions here, and you can do with them as you wish.

SSDs come in all shapes and forms, and depending on which one you buy, pretty much every internal component can vary in quality and capabilites. That includes the very NAND chips that actually store files.

One of the first things I learned about Power Query—and a rule I still follow religiously today—is to not select a column and delete it. To build a truly resilient dashboard, you must instead tell the editor what to keep, not what to remove. Here's why Remove Other Columns is your new best friend.

Luxury SUVs have gotten wildly good over the past decade—and wildly expensive. As buyers chased bigger screens, more power, and every badge upgrade imaginable, sticker prices climbed right along with them.

Netflix's homepage is probably where many customers find new movies and shows. The homepage is curated to show programs that you might like based on your streaming habits. If you know the type of movie you want to stream, then visit the specific genre page to explore popular categories like dramas, comedies, and romance.

Most Linux users settle into a stable setup. Pick a distro based on convenience or support, install it once, tweak it slowly, and then try not to think too hard about what is happening under the hood. That is fine, and often sensible, but sometimes, it is worth looking at the edges of the ecosystem, where people are asking stranger questions and building operating systems around them.

When the day is over, in comes the fun, so make sure you have plenty of popcorn in stock for this week’s movie recommendations on Amazon Prime Video.

With a smart thermostat, ceiling lights plus fans we can control via a voice assistant, and doors I can unlock remotely, our home is clearly smart. The question is—can anyone in the house make sense of it all but me? This is a question it's vital to ask as early as possible in your smart home journey, or you will find yourself swapping out technology like I am now.

I used the NETGEAR Nighthawk 5G M7 Mobile Wi-Fi Hotspot every day for close to two weeks. This hotspot is ultra-portable and delivers reliable speeds for moderate use, making it an excellent mobile option for workers on the go. Speeds vary by location and network conditions, so it may not always hit peak performance. But its functionality is top-tier.

Sterling K. Brown exudes consistency. The multi-talented performer won an Emmy a decade ago for portraying Chris Darden in the fantastic crime drama, The People v. O. J. Simpson. Brown has also earned critical acclaim on the big screen, earning an Academy Award nomination in 2023's American Fiction. Brown is now the star of the post-apocalyptic thriller Paradise, which returns to Hulu for its sophomore season on February 23.

LIke most people, I don't have any more spinning mechanical hard drives inside any of my computers. However, I have more external hard drives than I can count without taking off my shoes and frankly I've never followed the supposed best practices for these devices.

Sometimes Apple TV can feel like a dormant streaming service, where not much happens on it, until it does (The Studio, Pluribus, I'm looking at you). But with a back catalog of some pretty great shows to binge—from prestige dramas to big-budget sci-fi epics—if you'd rather skip the scrolling and get straight to the good stuff, I've got three for you this week that cover a bit of everything.

Bloatware—all those useless apps that were installed on your phone before you got it—can take up a lot of space, even if it's just a bunch of visual icons. Deleting these apps is a good idea, and not just for your personal sanity and satisfaction.

What does a brand name on the outside of a TV actually mean? For many people, a brand is associated with a specific country of origin, a certain expectation of quality, and a particular design philosophy. That's by design, but ultimately a brand is just a word printed on the box. The actual facts about a product can be rather complicated.

Before SD cards became the default (well, one of the defaults) in removable storage, that whole part of the storage market was a mess of tiny, incompatible formats that only really worked with specific devices or brands.